22 November: Da Gama rounds the Cape, and a bowl of Caldo Verde
On 22 November 1497 Vasco da Gama's fleet rounded the Cape of Good Hope, opening the sea road from Portugal to India. A Portuguese sailor's milestone gets Portugal's most famous soup: caldo verde, ribbons of green cabbage in potato broth with a slice of chouriço.

Caldo Verde
Portugal5.1
Caldo verde, meaning 'green broth', is Portugal's most famous soup. Potatoes, onion and garlic are cooked and puréed into a smooth, pale base, and just before serving, dark Portuguese cabbage or kale cut into whisper-thin ribbons is added and cooked briefly so it stays bright green.
Read about Caldo Verde and get the recipe →What happened
Vasco da Gama's fleet rounds the Cape of Good Hope on its way to India.
Sources
- A Journal of the First Voyage of Vasco da Gama (Project Gutenberg)
- South African History Online: Vasco da Gama's voyage, 1497
- EBSCO Research Starters: Vasco da Gama rounds the Cape of Good Hope
This page comes back every year on 22 November.
Every special day and its soup, in one calendar.
On This Day in Soup More soups from Portugal


